DESIGN STANDARDS

FOR PUMPING FACILITIES

READING THE TEXT BOOKS

Ernest C Sturtz, P.E., BCEE

February 12, 2013

Ernest Sturtz, P.E., BCEE

Pump Station Design

More than 35 years hydraulic systems and

pump station design and construction experience
CDMs Senior technical leader for pump
station design
Member of several Hydraulic Institute Standards
Committees Including Intake, Vibration, NPSH/AOR
and Pump Piping. Co-Chair of Pump Application
Guidelines for Water and Wastewater
Technical oversight for hundreds of pump stations
around the globe during career, many in Texas

Todays Topics
The Textbooks
Pumping Station Design Jones, Sanks, et al
Pump Handbook Karassik, Krutzsch, Fraser & Messina
Hydraulic Institute Design Standards
Intake Design Standard ANSI/HI 9.8-2012
Inlet/Wet Well Configuration Design

Pump Piping Standard ANSI/HI 9.6.6-2009

Vibration Standards ANSI/HI 9.6.4-2009 & Dynamics
NPSH/AOR Standards ANSI/HI 9.6.3 & 9.6.1

Hydraulic Institute Textbooks

Pump Life Cycle Costs
Variable Speed Pumping
Optimizing Pumping Systems

What is the Hydraulic Institute and what is a

Standards Partner?
US organization founded in 1917 to create pump
related standards and solve pump related issues
Members are Pump Manufacturers
The Hydraulic Institute prepares design standards for
all aspects of pumping (issued under ANSI)
Associate Members are manufacturers of related
equipment such as motors, VFDs and controls
Standards Partners are consultants and end users
that contribute to preparation of design standards

Pump Intake Design Standard

HI has released an updated

Pump Intake Design Standard
(ANSI/HI 9.8-2012)
Design Requirements Avoid:
Submerged vortices
Free-surface vortices
Excessive swirl
Non-uniform velocity
distribution at impeller eye
Excessive variations in velocity
and swirl
Entrained air

Image used with permission of Hydraulic Institute

Wet Well Design

Perhaps one of the most common sources of pump

and wastewater pumping station maintenance
problems
Challenges the Designer must select a type that:
Minimizes dynamic energy and large scale water
circulation
Avoids solids deposition
Provides a mechanism to create turbulence in wet well
to re-entrain solids and to pump floating grease and
debris (Wastewater Pumping Stations)

Inlet/Wetwell Configuration Design

Applicable Hydraulic Institute Standard
Pump Intake Design ANSI/HI 9.8-2012

Debris Management/Removal (WW & RW)

Wetwell Configuration Selection
Wetwell Inlet/Pump Approach
Redundancy/Split Wetwells

Self-Cleaning
Trench Style
Wet Well
Design Guidance
available from
ANSI/HI 9.8-2012 &
Pumping Station
Design 3rd Edition
plus web resources

Self-Cleaning Trench Style Wet Well

Hydraulic Institute
Standards and Pumping
Station Design by Jones
and Sanks et al for
additional details
Good design for variable
speed applications
Requires additional
design
considerations for
constant speed pumping

Compact Rectangular Wet Well

for Solids Bearing Liquids

In HI Intake Standard
Appendix
Design has undergone
extensive hydraulic
modeling by HydroTec
(Leeds, England) and Flygt
Proven by extensive field
testing
Works effectively for both
variable and constant
speed applications

Image used with permission of Hydraulic Institute and Xylem Corp.

Example: Sugar Creek Influent Pump Station

Physical Hydraulic Modeling

Physical Modeling Verifies Hydraulic Design

Modeling Required for Stations Exceeding
100,000 gpm (144 mgd)
Allows Optimization of the Design

Pump Piping Design Standard

HI released a new Pump Piping

Standard (ANSI/HI 9.6.6-2009)

Valves and fittings can generate

hydraulic conditions that can
adversely affect pump
performance

Standard identifies
recommended length of straight
pipe upstream of pump inlet

Image used with permission of Hydraulic Institute

Pump Suction Piping

Image used with permission of Hydraulic Institute

Pump Suction Piping

Images used with permission of Hydraulic Institute

Vertically Mounted End-Suction Pumps

Non-reducing elbow design

has been common practice
Results in uneven flow
distribution to the pump
inlet
Introduces uneven loading
on impeller
Reducing elbow has been
shown to be effective at
delivering uniform
hydraulics to the pump
inlet

Recommended Pump Suction Elbow Design

for Delivery of Uniform Flow to the Pump

Design Guidance Recommendations

Pump NPSH and AOR Standards

HI has released the updated Allowable

Operating Region (AOR) standard in
2012 and Pump NPSH (Net Positive
Suction Head) will be released in 2013
These two standards cover how to
select pumps to prevent cavitation and
apply pumps to particular operating
ranges
For instance why do we add margin to
NPSH3 and what is NPSH3? What is
NPSH?
AOR & POR will be discussed in the
following slides
Image used with permission of Hydraulic Institute

Pump NPSH Margin

Image used with permission of Hydraulic Institute

Pump Selection and Operating Ranges

Low static head systems generally facilitate a wider range
of operating conditions
Reduced speed pumping can cause pump clogging
Suction recirculation
Low suction velocities

Focus on maximizing efficiency in the most common

operating conditions, while maintaining capacity
requirements for unusual operating conditions

Pump Selection Example for Low Static Head System

Pump Selection Example for High Static Head System

Common Pump Selection Mistakes Pump Run-out

Common Pump Selection Mistakes Reduced Operating Range

Pump Vibration Standard

HI released updated Pump

Vibration Standard (ANSI/HI
9.6.4-2009)
Depicts maximum allowable
vibration levels for different
pump designs
Specifies how field and factory
vibration tests are to be
determined
Will have a companion tutorial
entitled Vibration Dynamics to
be released in 2013

Image used with permission of Hydraulic Institute

Pump Vibration Standard

Image used with permission of Hydraulic Institute

Pump Vibration Standard

Image used with permission of Hydraulic Institute

Pump/Mechanical/Piping Design
How do we put this all together?
Pump Types
Applicable Hydraulic Institute Standards
Pump Piping
Vibration

Suction Piping
Discharge Piping/Pump Supports/Shafting
Pump Selection

Suction Piping & Inlet Design Intake Design

Combine Intake & Pump Piping

Image used with permission of Hydraulic Institute and Xylem Corp.

Discharge Piping/
Pump Supports/Shafting
Hydraulics
Pump suction elbows
and reducers can be
problematic
Air entrainment,
pre-swirl, non-uniform
flow distribution, vortices
Poor piping design can
contribute to ragging &
vibration
Proper pump selection
NPSH - cavitation

Discharge Piping/
Pump Supports/Shafting
Flexible Couplings
& Pipe Supports
Reduce rigidity
of system
Introduce lateral
load opposite the
pump discharge
HI requires that
loads on suction
and discharge
nozzle be
minimized

Discharge Piping/
Pump Supports/Shafting
Pump Supports
Major contributor to pump vibration
Steel frames provided by
many manufacturers lack
adequate stiffness
Addition of steel cross
members is effective for
vibration control, but limits
access
Construction of base is
critical to minimizing
vibration - proper grouting,
securing anchor bolts, etc.

Discharge Piping/
Pump Supports/Shafting

Use of concrete pump

supports preferred
Provide concrete pedestal
type pipe supports
Avoid use of flexible
expansion joints unless
seismic considerations
require use
Pipe restraint must be
designed to reduce thrust
loading and other forces on
pump nozzles below
manufacturers limits

Vertically Mounted WW Pump Base

Use concrete pedestals
instead of steel frames
whenever practical
Designer must provide
space for suction elbow
and maintenance
access

Discharge Piping/
Pump Supports/Shafting
What is a Critical Speed

System natural frequency is equal to a resonance

generated by the pump i.e., pump speed, vane-pass
frequency, etc.
Variable speed systems
are especially vulnerable
to this problem
Often system is
modified to move
natural frequency
out of operating range

Can also speed limit

or exclude speeds

Vibration and Critical Speed Limitations

Finite Element Analysis
What is a Finite Element Analysis (FEA)?
Computer model of mechanical equipment to predict natural
frequencies and equipment or structure behavior when excited

FEA should normally be performed for pumps greater than 100HP

and of a critical nature
FEA should only be performed by qualified firms
Investment in FEA is a proactive approach similar in philosophy to
Physical Intake Model

Pump Shafting
Design of shafting is complex
and should be done by a
specialist typically the
manufacturer
Submit design requirements to
shaft manufacturer after approval
of 30 percent design submittal
Location of steady bearing support
beams will be recommended by
shafting manufacturer
Structural engineer can then size support beams to meet
acceptable deflection to be a part of the contract documents

Discharge Piping/
Pump Supports/Shafting
Extended Shafts
Can be an effective design
with proper engineering
and maintenance
Susceptible to imbalance
and misalignment
Require careful engineering
by qualified designer
Extended shafts
can often be avoided
through use of dry-pit
submersible pumps

Life Cycle Cost Analysis

Secure Financial Information
on Facility
Use Appropriate Software or
Spreadsheet to Analyze Pump
Facility
Use Hydraulic Institute Text as
Guide

Image used with permission of

Hydraulic Institute

Comparison of facilities
over 20 years
Cost of Money
Lowest First Cost
Not the most Efficient
Pump/Motor
Combination
Fiberglass Wet Well
and Valve Vault
Lowest Cost Valves
Thin Wall PVC Pipe

Cost of MoneySame?
Higher Equipment Cost
Most Efficient
Pump/Motor/VFD
Equipment Available?
Concrete Wet Well & Vault
with Coatings
First Quality Accessories
Ductile Iron Pipe

Questions?